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Chapter 7
Jet walked away from Kin and Gail who tended to the youngest kids, still smiling at how the kids had cheered when he had given them the few toys he had made for them. The kids ranged from ages four to eight, though some of the older ones wanted to get out of the tree house and join the raids. But Jet knew they were too young and kept reminding them to keep practicing with their wooden swords and when he saw that they were ready, he would let them join on small missions. He smiled when he saw a group working to bring up earth to the center platform, knowing Aya would be surprised. Nodding to them, he headed towards his room; sure Aya would be awake by then. A hand reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into a nook between two trees and into a passionate kiss. Jet smiled and kissed Jade back, but something was off. It wasn't like how it should have been, and Jade seemed to pick up on the difference and let him go.
"What's wrong?" she asked with a pout.
"Just got a lot on my mind," Jet said, smiling at his girlfriend. He reached up to move some of her brown hair away from her face and she frowned.
"You sure it's not that little noble?" Jade asked tartly and Jet frowned.
"It has nothing to do with Aya," Jet said sternly.
"Then what's going on at the center tree? You won't take her to the ground, so you're bringing the ground up to her?"
Jet stepped back and studied Jade as her tone became icier. She was almost scowling and had crossed her arms over her chest when he stepped back.
"She's going to teach us," Jet told Jade. "How to tell lies, how to earthbend better than the Dai Li or Long Feng."
"I don't like her," Jade sniped. "Her high and mighty ways, her voice, her looks. It's freaky how her eyes just seem to stare off into forever. She's just going to use you."
Jet's frown deepened. The only one who's acting high and mighty is you, Jet thought and his thoughts startled him, though he knew it was true. He smiled slightly and leaned into Jade. "I need you to do something for me, something only you can do," he told her and saw her green eyes sparkle, though most of her emotions were hidden. He thought about Aya's milky green eyes and how they never focused, but showed so much more emotion in a second than Jade's had shown in their entire relationship.
Jade smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer, but Jet didn't kiss her. "It's a mission," he said and saw her frown for a second, but he pushed on. "You're the best I have. I want you to take Chan and another person and head to Long Feng." Jade sighed, but nodded, her arms going limp around his neck. "I need to find out what he's planning. The denial of the ransom came too fast. Find out what's really going on. I'm probably going to move Aya soon."
"Where?" Jade asked.
"Probably to one the caves closer to Ba Sing Sae. I'll pass word on once I know."
"Can't we…have some fun, before you go?" Jade asked, starting to smile again and lean into him.
"No," Jet said gently. "I need you to go now. Hopefully by the time we see each other again, Aya will be gone."
"Fine," Jade sighed and Jet stepped away and watched her walk away.
He sighed once she was gone and smelled her perfume all over his clothes. He knew she loved it, but he didn't like it and he knew Aya's senses were strong enough to smell it on him. Heading to the ground, he grabbed a clean set of clothes from the laundry and smiled at the teens cleaning the clothes near the stream before he moved to a more private stream and bathed before donning the clean clothes. He dropped off his dirty ones and started climbing back up to his room. He didn't know why he was feeling so protective over Aya when Jade threw accusations at the princess. But Aya was so nice, when she wasn't yelling back at him. And the night before, she had been beautiful and perfect in every way. She had bonded with his people, playing along with them and not acting as if she were above everyone. She had even told stories for the group, stories Jet was sure would get passed along more frequently.
Aya had been fun to be with and he had enjoyed watching her dance and enjoy herself and then he had stepped up to her, bowing before he danced with her. She had been light and perfect in his arms and for a moment, he had felt as if there was no one else around them as they danced. But then Chan had caught his eye and he had let his friend dance with Aya. And when they had returned to his room, Jet had heard her trip over something after grabbing an extra set of clothes and turned around, catching her. He had been lost in her eyes for a second and had almost kissed her until he heard Chan coming. Realizing how close he was to Aya, he had moved away from her and gone to Chan.
He was surprised at how she knew something was wrong when he had re-entered the room, but she had somehow found a way to make him laugh again. Jet knew he was getting too close to the princess, but everything about her made him comfortable with her. With a smirk, he realized that included the shouting matches. She wasn't afraid to stand up against him. Now that he thought about it, she wasn't really afraid of anything. She always faced her fears head on. He entered his room and was surprised to find Aya still sleeping. He started frowning when he saw her start thrashing around suddenly. Hurrying to her side, and watching out for her fists, Jet grabbed her shoulders.
"Aya, wake up!"
She suddenly opened her eyes and stopped thrashing. Her eyes were on him and they looked like they were brighter for a second and focused on him before they instantly returned to their milky green color, the irises unfocused.
"…What…?"
"You had a nightmare," Jet said gently as Aya grabbed her head in pain.
"Ow, headache," she said and Jet moved to grab a glass of water for her, placing a bit of powdered willow bark in it. He placed it in her hand and she drank it without question, but then made a face at the bitter taste.
"Yuck, what was that?" Aya asked, handing the cup back.
"It had willow bark, to help the headache," Jet said.
"Tell a girl next time," Aya retorted and Jet could only smile at the attitude in her tone.
"Want to talk about it?" Jet asked, moving to her side again. She looked at him questioningly and he smiled.
"I deal with a lot of kids who have nightmares," Jet told her, sitting by her legs. "We all have them, and talking helps."
She was silent with her head bowed as she pulled her knees to her chest. "No, I'm fine." She turned her head to smile at him and Jet found himself smiling back.
"Well, come on. I have a surprise for you," Jet said and stood.
She looked confused, but seemed to brighten at his tone and stood. Jet took her hand gently and he thought it felt nice to hold her hand. He noticed her blushing, but quickly turned away and started leading her towards the center tree. He noticed that a lot of people had gathered on surrounding platforms to watch and a few earthbenders surrounded the pile of earth that had been brought up and spread over the platform where everyone had gathered and danced the night before. Jet glanced back over his shoulder and watched as Aya stopped in shock and her face lit up into a huge grin when she felt the earth under her feet. He let go of her hand and stepped back. Jet started to frown when the dirt moved up her feet to encase her body up to her neck, but then she laughed and it fell down again.
"Wow, you didn't have to bring this up here for me," she said and several people chuckled.
"It's not entirely for you," Jet said. "You're going to teach us how to detect lies and earthbend,"
Aya smirked at him and nodded. "Ok, take off your shoes."
He stared at her for a second, but she merely put her hands on her hips and continued to smirk. Sighing lightly, he took his boots off and stood in the layer of dirt.
"Now, close your eyes and try and feel the earth," Aya said.
"How will this help?" Jet asked.
"You guys rely too much on your eyes. You have to feel the earth, and everything it tells you. I'm going to walk around a bit and I want you to tell me what you feel."
"Fine," Jet said, trying not to sigh or growl. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of the earth beneath his feet. He heard Aya start to walk around, but didn't feel anything. "Nothing," he said.
"Put a hand on the ground for now," Aya said.
He kneeled and placed a hand on the ground and then something came to him that surprised him. He felt a large foot walking towards him from his right. Concentrating on that, he felt the next foot and could almost see an outline of a person. Smiling slightly, he thought about where the person would step next and hardened the ground there. The person did step there next and stopped in surprise.
"Wow, you're a fast learner," Aya remarked, obviously impressed. "Thanks, Yang. Anyone here who can tell outrageous lies, but usually tells the truth?" she asked of the crowd. Jet started to stand and open his eyes, but Aya rebuked him. "Not yet, Jet. Keep concentrating and keep your eyes closed."
He let a low growl out, but was inwardly smiling at how well she could read him. He could barely feel her now that he knew where she was. He felt someone light land a few feet away from him and concentrated.
"Remember to listen to their voice, but mostly concentrate on the person. Ok, Tania, tell the truth first so he knows what it feels like," Aya said.
"Well, my name is Tania," the girl said and Jet could only smile at how hesitant she was at first. "Jet found me when I was five. My dad had left my mom when I was a baby, and she got sick real fast. She died, and I was alone on the farm, but Jet found me and offered me a place to live and I couldn't be happier."
Jet smiled as he remembered that time and he noticed that Tania was calm and collected. He did notice something different when she mentioned her mother, but was unsure what that was about. Aya obviously noticed it as well, because she gave another lesson.
"Emotions make our pulses and breathing change. The more emotional, the more profound a change," she said. "But emotions are different than lies. Ok, Tania, tell a huge lie now."
"Ok! I'm eight feet tall, a great waterbender, and I have big feathery wings to fly and my skin is purple."
Jet almost laughed, and he could hear a lot of other people laughing at Tania's imagination, but he could definitely feel the difference. "I could feel that," Jet said, almost in amazement. "But, what about little lies?"
"You'll be able to tell the more you work on it. It takes practice," Aya said.
Jet nodded and opened his eyes, seeing Aya smiling at him. He stood and turned to his people. "All right, any earthbenders who wants to learn this are to come down here, pair up and practice."
"Most of you won't get it right away," Aya cautioned. "But it will come in time."
"When are we going to learn to bend better?" a small boy asked.
"Once you master being able to feel your opponent," Aya said with a smile, "you'll know where they'll strike next and you'll be able to beat them to the punch. I'll teach a few moves later, but this is more important. Try to feel other people walking around first and then do the truth and lies."
Jet smiled as most of the earthbenders in the group made their way to the platform and started practicing with each other. He walked over to stand next to Aya and occasionally closed his eyes, trying to feel everyone else and her.
"I know you're trying to get a better read on me," she whispered to him after the third time he tried to concentrate on her. "Shall we practice?"
"How will I know you're telling the truth?" Jet asked, opening his eyes to study her. She seemed hurt for a second, but was smiling again when he blinked.
"I'll tell you what you know about me. And my lies are huge. I usually don't lie, it's hard for me."
"Why?" Jet asked, curious.
She just grinned. "When your mom can tell a lie a mile away, you just stick to the truth and don't lie. Not talking is the best option, but even then, she knew when I was hiding something. And since my dad is so used to my mom, he can read my brother and I like a book, almost as easily as my mom can. And," she continued with a smirk. "I grew up in the Fire Nation, where honor is everything. Not too many lies there. At least when you're not in politics."
"Ugh, I hate politicians," Jet growled.
"Me too," Aya sighed. "But, we're getting off the subject. Close your eyes."
Jet did so and concentrated on Aya. "Ok," Aya said. "I'm sixteen, blind, an earthbender and you and Long Feng captured me to ransom me for medicine and supplies."
Jet nodded, feeling the evenness of Aya's being. He thought he felt her heartbeat and knew it was the truth.
"I can see, and I love the color purple. My brother is a waterbender, and you're eight feet tall, with huge horns."
Jet chuckled as he felt the obvious lie. "Ok, now do a truth I don't know about you," he said.
Aya hesitated for a second. "My friend Kuzon likes me, a lot. But I don't like him in that way. I've always liked someone else, but I may be liking someone new now."
He felt her pulse speed up at the end, but it wasn't like a lie. Opening his eyes, Jet saw a blush on Aya's cheeks. "Who did you like?" Jet asked.
"You wouldn't understand," she sighed.
He smirked. "Try me."
She brought her head up and it seemed like her eyes were boring into his. "I liked Li, a lot. Well, before I knew it was my dad."
Jet felt hurt when she said it was Li, but was confused about his emotions and how she could have liked the teen that had saved her and her friends when she obviously knew it was her father. "O K, well, who do you like now?"
She gave him a wry smile. "Nope, you're not getting that one. Sometimes a girl has to keep some things to herself."
Jet sighed. "Fine. How about coming up with a small lie, so I can try and figure it out?"
Aya's smile faltered. "I told you, I'm not good at lying. Hey, maybe I can finish telling you what I know about your dad since you interrupted me. And I'll try and throw in some half truths and small lies, and tell you about them whether you catch them or not."
Jet was about nod, when he noticed a lot of people turning towards them. "Maybe not now," he whispered and sent a dark look to the group, causing the earthbenders to turn back to their partners and keep practicing. Aya giggled next to him and stepped up to the group.
"Well, you guys seem to be getting the hang of it. So, keep practicing feeling the earth and everything that moves in and on it. But now, I'll show you a few moves."
Jet watched as Aya demonstrated a few moves with the dirt, using it as a shield and also as a weapon. He noticed a lot of the moves looked similar to firebending and waterbending and when she stepped back towards him so the others could practice, he remarked on it.
"Well," she said with a grin. "My grandfather always said to take inspiration from multiple sources. He learned to redirect lightning by watching waterbenders. I watch my dad and brother a lot and then my friend, Kana, visits a lot and I watch her."
"Watch?" Jet asked with a wry smile.
She turned to him and punched his shoulder gently. "You know what I mean. And that's how I show affection," she said when he started to get angry and ask why she had hit him. Jet just shook his head and watched his people practice. After a while, he noticed a lot of the younger ones were just throwing dirt at each other and the older ones were joining in, creating a dirt fight. He started to stalk to the center, to get everyone to calm down, but Aya laid a hand on his arm and smiled. He saw her feet shift and instantly the dirt came together in the form a woman who shook her finger at everyone. Everyone, including Jet, was startled before they started laughing. Jet glanced at Aya and saw her smiling, though a thin trail of dirt was between her and the figure.
"Where shall I put it?" Aya asked him. "I smell dinner coming."
"Just off to the side, at the edge," he replied and she nodded, moving the dirt there and letting it fall into a heap. Jet watched as everyone hustled to help the ones bringing food up and Aya seemed surprised as less people joined in. Jet was surprised at how fast the day had gone and led Aya to his normal seat. "A lot of people have left in case the army comes here," he told her and saw her nod in understanding.
Dinner moved smoothly and soon everyone was heading to bed or into small groups to talk or repair weapons. Jet led Aya back to his room, but neither of them were tired. Jet pulled out her black bracelet and studied it as she sat on the bed.
"What is this stuff?" he asked finally.
Aya looked at him questioningly and Jet moved to sit next to her and placed the bracelet in her hand.
XXXXX
Aya was surprised when she felt her meteorite bracelet in her hand. She hadn't expected Jet to hand it to her, maybe describe it. But he seemed to understand her blindness, unlike a lot of other people.
"Its meteorite," Aya said with a smile and molded the bracelet into different shapes. A globe, a star, a snake and then back into a bracelet. "Sokka gave it to my mom when she was 12. After a meteorite landed near them in the Fire Nation before the Day of Black Sun. He used a lot of the meteorite to make his sword, but saved a chunk for Toph. She made it into a bracelet and gave me half of it when I turned 12."
She knew Jet was studying her as she remembered the story her mom had told her and how her mother had had a huge crush on Sokka at the time. But as soon as Zuko had come into Toph's life, Toph had never looked back. Aya smiled more at the memories and stories and an idea sprung into her head. She removed a piece of meteorite and turned to Jet.
"Give me your hand," she said gently.
"Why?" Jet asked, caution in his tone.
Aya just smiled and rolled her eyes. "Because I have something for you. I don't bite."
She heard him stifle a laugh and his hand was in hers. She took the piece of meteorite and molded it into a ring around the ring finger of his right hand. He pulled his hand away when she finished and by the sounds she was getting, and the feeling of the meteorite moving around, she thought he was studying it.
"Why?" he asked again, but curiosity was in his tone. She reached out and took his right hand, placing it on the inside of her wrist, feeling the meteorite ring against her pulse.
"So you can ask anything and feel the truth," she said with a smile and knew that this could work. Jet had been a fast learner, faster than she thought he could be. But he still didn't trust her and she needed him to. The gods had visited her in her dreams the night before and told her she needed to hurry. She had argued that she was, but Jet was being stubborn. The earth goddess had told her that Aya needed to get Jet to trust her and soon. Things were getting worse. Aya had wanted to question the gods further, but then she had been shaken awake by Jet. She thought she might have seen him for a second, but it was just a flash of colors before her normal vision of feelings, scents and sounds returned.
"Ok," Jet said hesitantly. "Why don't you tell me the rest of your story. The story of my father."
Aya nodded. "I was where Aang and Jet went after Long Feng, right?" Aya asked and heard Jet nod.
"Ok. They went after Long Feng and found him in another large chamber. Long Feng blocked the entrance with earthbending and Jet and Aang started to demand where Appa was. Long Feng said they didn't have room to demand anything and then said a phrase that triggered a buried command that had been implanted into Jet when he was brainwashed."
"What does that mean?" Jet asked, his fingers closing around Aya's wrist gently.
She tried to keep the blush off her cheeks at how nice it felt for Jet to have his hand around her wrist, and pushed on. "When Long Feng and his Dai Li brainwashed people, they implanted phrases into their minds, so that if anyone got unruly, all they had to do was say that command and the people would do what they wanted. This one made Jet turn and start attacking Aang."
"Creepy," Jet muttered and Aya felt him shiver slightly. She nodded and continued the story.
"Well, Jet was attacking Aang and Aang was just trying to stay clear and try and snap Jet out of it. He finally did it by reminding Jet that he was a Freedom Fighter. Jet turned to Long Feng and threw one of his swords at him. Long Feng moved and sent an earthbending attack at Jet, hitting Jet in his chest with a ton of rocks before making his escape. The others came in at that time and Katara tried to heal Jet, but said it didn't look good. Longshot spoke and said that he and Smellerbee would look after Jet because he was their leader. Toph knew something was wrong and Jet told Katara and Aang to go after Long Feng, that he'd be fine. My mom told Sokka that Jet was lying as they hurried after Long Feng."
Aya stopped, unsure where to go and Jet's other hand moved to hers, squeezing it lightly. "I know that was all the truth, but you heard it from someone else. How do I know they told the truth?"
"Because my mom told me," Aya said defiantly. "And I would have felt the lie if it was there."
She heard Jet nod. "Ok, how did Long Feng betray his people to Azula?"
Aya let out a small sigh. She had hoped Jet would tell her how his father had survived, but she nodded, knowing she wouldn't get it yet. "The gang went after Long Feng and his Dai Li cornered Aang and everyone, but Zuko had set Appa free earlier. Appa came flying down and knocked the Dai Li into the water and then bit Long Feng's leg when the scumbag tried to kick Appa. Appa then skipped Long Feng over the water. They headed back to the palace."
Aya continued to tell of how the group had gotten into the palace and convinced the king that Long Feng had been lying to him. Long Feng was arrested and then the group split up, Aya telling of why and where everyone went. But then they had come back together to rescue Katara and Zuko from Azula's clutches, the fight and how Aang had almost died, but Katara had saved him.
"My dad found out that Azula kept Long Feng on as a governor over Ba Sing Sae, knowing he would be loyal or die," Aya said at the end. "But after Ozai and Azula were defeated, Long Feng and his Dai Li disappeared."
"And they heard nothing about my father after that?" Jet asked. "Did they even look for him?!"
Aya frowned as anger came into Jet's tone. "Yes, they did," she said to his face. "They searched everywhere and couldn't find Longshot or Smellerbee either. Aang and Katara especially listened for any word of them since they travel a lot. A lot of people were displaced by the Fire Nation's control of Ba Sing Sae. There was no place where the refugees could go anymore, so a lot of people just left and tried to make it on their own. What happened to your dad? How did he survive?"
Jet's hands left hers and he stood and started pacing. She heard him start to speak when the sound of approaching footsteps stopped him.
"Yes, Matt?" Jet asked when Aya heard a small boy enter the room.
"Got a letter, Jet. From Long Feng."
"Thanks, Matt. Go and get some rest," Jet said in a kind tone to the boy and Aya heard him leave as Jet opened a scroll. His breathing changed and Aya wished she could feel him, knowing he was agitated. Jet turned back to her. "Get some rest. We're leaving at dawn."
With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Aya wondering what had happened. Something was wrong and she didn't need the gods to tell her that. She knew it, deep in her gut, she knew something was wrong. She curled up onto the bed and felt her bracelet before putting it onto her arm. Hoping everything would work out, Aya closed her eyes and forced herself to go to sleep.
